Coal-chute



'(No Model.)

I. BURNETT & J. E. CLIFTON.

GOAL OHUTE.

Patented Jan. 16,1883.

ATTORNEYS.

N4 PETERS. Phblo-Lilhagmphor, wmmmm o. c.

UNITED STATES PATE T Orrice.

ISAAC BURNETT AND JOSEPH E. CLIFTON, OF GENESEO, ILLINOIS.

COAL-CHUTE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 270,736, dated January16, 1883.

Application filed November 21, 1882.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ISAAC BURNETT and JOSEPH E. CLIFTON, of Geneseo, inthe county of Henry and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and usefulImprovementsin Coal-Chutes, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description.

Our improvements relate to the construction and arrangement ofcoal-chutes used for coalin glocomotive-tenders and other carriages, the

"object being to dispense with complicated mechanism and to save timeinthe coaling operation.

Our invention consists in the combination, with the coal box or chute,of a balanced apron, which, when turned down, forms a chute or slidefrom the delivery end of the main box or chute.

It consists, further, in the construction whereby the operation isrendered more effective and the gate of the coal-box is automaticallyreleased when the apron is brought in place for discharge of the coal,as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of thisspecification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly sectional,

of our improved coal-chute. Fig. 2 is a front view of the same. i

A is the box or chute, which is elevated upon a suitable frame at theside of the elevated track a, as usual, on which the coal-cars areconveyed for filling the chutes or boxes placed alongside ofthe track.The chute A is formed with an inclined bottom,b, that is constructed ofplanking covered on the upper side by iron plates. The object of thusconstructing the bottom is to obtain durability, and also to facilitatethe disch arge of the coal in cold weather, when the coal is apt toadhere to woodenbottomed chutes. At the front of the chute A is aswinging gate, c, hinged at its upper edge, so as to close the front oropen side of the box, and this gate is held in its closed position bymeans of latches d, which are pivoted at each side of thesupporting-frame ot' the chute. B is'the apron, formed of sheet-iron,and with side rims or flanges. supporting-frame of the chute by hingedjoints,

This apron is attached to the- (No model.)

of the apron. At their outer ends the armsf are bent at right angles, soas to form ofi'sets, to which weights 9 g are pivoted. The weights 9have an arm or projecting portion, g,of suitable length and form fortaking against the under sides of the armsf when the latter are raisedby thedownward movement of the apron B, so that the weights shall beheldin a position projected from the ends of the arms], as shown in Fig. 1.The'armsfare bent and the weights so placed that they hang directly, ornearly so, beneath the center 0, on which the apron swings when theapron is in its raised position, the object being to insure the raisingof the apron by the weight closely against the gate 0 and the face ofthe chute A. A suitable handle or rope, as shown at K, is fitted to theouter end of the apron, for use in drawing it downward.

In operation, the gate 0, beingclosed,is held by the latches d, theinner ends of which are of a weight sufiicient to throw thelatches intoengagement with the lugs d on the gate, these inner ends being alsoprovided with lugs or projections 13, projecting outward. The chute,being also in the raised position, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l,is held by the weights g. The apron being drawn down, the arms f arethereby raised, and, coming in contact with the projections i ofthelatches (1 when the chute is fully down, the latches are thereby movedout of engagement with the lugs on the gate 0, and the gate, beingthereby released, willbe forced open by the coal, and the coal willpassdown over the apron to the tender or carriage. In this downward movementof the apron, as soon as the arms f approach a horizontal position, ornearly so, the projections g of the weights take against the under sidesof the arms, and the weights are thereby prevented from swingingdownward, and are held rigidly,

projecting from the ends of the arms, so that the weights act to thefullest extent during the completion of the movements. That constructionallows. the use of lighter weights, the readystartingofthe apron, andalso its quick start upward when first raised. 'When the coal isdischarged and the chute raised again the latches dare released, and thegate a, falling by its own weight, is again caught by thelatches andheld.

We do not limit ourselves to any particular form or arrangement of thechute or coal-box.

The apron B may be provided at its outer end with a latch or boltarranged for engagin g a fixed catch when the apron is raised forholding the apron. The handle is will be connected to the bolt, so thatat the first pull of the handle the bolt will be disconnected. Thisarrangement is to prevent the apron from being thrown down by the weightof coal in case the latches d should fail to catch or becomedisconnected by the jarof passing trains.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and 'desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. The combination, with a coal-chute,of a hinged apron provided with balancing arms and weights, and arrangedto form,when moved downward, an inclined plane on the end of the chuteor box, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination, with a coal-chute, ofthe hinged apron B, providedwith the weighted armsf, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a coal box or chute, of the hinged apron B, theweighted arms 1', the hinged gate 0, and the latches d, substantially asshown and described.

4:. The combination, with the chute A, of the hinged gate 0, the latchesd, provided with projections i, and hinged apron B, provided with armsf, constructed and arranged substantially as described, for effectingthe automatic release of the latches when the apron is lowered, asspecified.

5. In coal-chutes, the combination,with the hinged apron B and arms j,of the pivoted weights 9, having projections or arms g, substantially asshown and described.

' ISAAC BURNETT. JOSEPH E. CLIFTON.

Witnesses:

J NO. HOLDEN, A. P. OBRYAN.

